Nadav Assor, Ira Eduardovna, Amnon Wolman, Nevet Yitzhak

September 18 – November 30, 2014

Koffler Gallery

Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street

Guest Curator: Liora Belford

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, September 18, 2014 | 6 - 9 PM | FREE

Developed by Toronto-based, Canadian/Israeli curator Liora Belford, Pardes brings together four sound and multi-media Israeli artists – Nadav Assor, Ira Eduardovna, Amnon Wolman, and Nevet Yitzhak. Derived from a Talmudic parable, the term Pardes, meaning ‘orchard’ in Hebrew, has come to symbolize the realm of esoteric practice. Creating new works, the artists research notions of Jewish mysticism from a non-religious perspective, as part of secular identity.

Drawing a parallel to the machine-like Ophanim angels, Assor examines the mythological aspirations of drone technology – unbridled motion and omnipresent vision manifesting the will of a remote-controlling power. Wolman explores gender and Judaism with a Tallit (prayer shawl worn by Jewish men) embedded with recordings of women praying and singing, while his Sound Books transform text-based objects into sculptural audio works. Eduardovna’s audio/visual piece juxtaposes chorus-sung reflections on the Apocalypse to the video of a family – a conventional social unit collapsing amongst crumbling ideologies. Yitzhak’s audio/video installation processes archival recordings from the Israel Broadcasting Authority Arabic Orchestra (1948-1993), creating a new composition based on marginalized traditions. Comprising diverse media and artistic approaches, Pardes explores the myth of secrets, the search for heroic figures, and the need to belong to a collective intellectual realm.